Dragonheart
by wordlytreasure
Summary: TOOTHLESS/HICCUP hiccup is dying, and in an act of desperation, Toothless does something that will change them both forever.
1. Chapter 1

It had started small, as most terrible things did. Just an uncomfortable burning sensation that was easily ignored.

Then came the nights where he'd toss and turn and sweat till the sheets were soaked and his father had come running. Again, nothing too serious, and easily ignored.

But when my little human began stumbling more often than usual, I took notice of just how pale he'd become. He'd smile his crooked smile and laugh off the concern the yellow haired female had shown, but one hand would go to his leg and rub the wound carefully. I could smell the rotting flesh, hidden there underneath leather and metal and wood, and I saw the flashes of pain in my human's eyes.

Dragons couldn't understand what it was like to have a wound turn poisonous, of course. It never happened to us. Should we lose a leg or a tail, it just healed over like we never had that part of us to begin with. Truth be told, I had thought nothing of my human losing his leg. Shows how little I knew of his fragile nature.

Now, as the tribe elder bowed over the quivering form of my human, I stood my guard outside his window. He was ghostly pale and damp with sweat, shivering despite the raging heat coursing through his veins. I could hear it tear him apart, could smell the wound's fury.

"Night Fury."

I turned one ear towards the hissing voice, refusing to look away. Heavy footfalls came closer, and the hot breath hit my neck.

"Night Fury, you are worried for him?"

I didn't have to look to know it was the Nightmare known as Fireworm. I growled low in response, lowering my wings sorrowfully. "He is my human, Fireworm. Why should I not worry about him?"

The she-dragon flicked her tail thoughtfully, sitting a respectful distance away from the cheiftan's house. I stole a glance at the large creature. A look of thoughtfulness passed over her face. "I heard my human's father speak to the chief, you know", she growled, baring her teeth. "The humans think he cannot be saved."

"That's a lie!" I snarled, whipping my head to face her. "Hiccup WILL heal. How dare that flesh beast spread such tales? What does he know?!"

Inside, the humans all looked up towards the window, confused over my sudden burst of anger. This amused Fireworm slightly. "Temper, temper, Toothless." She nodded towards the humans. "They are dumb to our language, so yelling isn't going to win you any favors in their eyes." She was right, and I reluctantly lowered myself to the ground. The Nightmare looked to the sky. "I came to tell you that the others wish to hold a meeting about your human. After all, he is the one who freed us. Losing him would be like losing a hatchling." Fireworm gently rubbed her head against mine in a gesture of comfort. "We meet in one hour."

And then she was was gone, the air suddenly cold all around me. Slowly, the humans inside left to go to their seperate huts, and eventually even the chief left his son's side, walking slowly to his bed with many a backwards glance.

I made no sound as I crept back to my human's side, the horrid stench of dying flesh polluting the air around him. He didn't move when I gently removed him from the bed and laid down in the floor, his weak human body cradled in my majestic wings. I nudged him roughly, silently praying to the gods for him to wake up. I couldn't lose him. Not now.

An hour passed, and I, too, left.

* * *

The wind howled and wailed all around Fireheart Peak, higher than even the bravest human dared to venture.

Even before our peace and friendship with the humans, we would come here. Too far away from the Red Death for her control to be felt, and secluded from the world. Here we could talk in private, greeting even the most exotic and far away dragons with open wings (provided they kept their fire to themselves).

Flying there was almost impossible for me now, without my human, but somehow I managed to scale the jagged cliffside, climbing deftly as I could through the twilight. The shame of my crippled tail was felt deep, my pride almost as bad as the loss of my tail fin, but I had to keep going. The others expected me.

I arrived late to the sounds of one hundred dragons murmuring and trilling at once, worried voices rising above the screech of the wind below. I touched down heavily next to a Gronckle who bore the human-given name Horrorcow. She regarded me with a sleepy, yet worried stare. "Night Fury", she drawled, lowering her heavy head. "News of your human?"

I shook my head. "Nothing, not even a sound. And the stench of death is getting worse."

She made a low mournful sound, respectfully offering me a fish as consolation. I turned it away. No, I would not have any appetite until my human was returned to me. Horrorcow understood, as best a Gronckle was capable, and ate the fish herself before continuing in a dull voice. "You missed the small fight Red Ring got into with that big bull Nadder," she said, mostly disinterested.

"Over what?" I turned my head. Red Ring, one half of a very stubborn and short tempered Zippleback, was begrudgingly letting Blue Ring, his other half, lick the rather nasty wound on his neck.

Horrorcow shrugged. "Food, probably. But Fireworm had to break them apart. The Nadder has a broken tail now." She smiled smugly. I just sneered, turning my nose up at the two headed dragon. Zipplebacks were, in my opinion, little more than double the waste of space they would be on their own. Two heads and not a brain between them. How dare they fight here.

Fireworm caught sight of me and let out a silencing roar, alerting the hoarde to my prescence. They turned their eyes to me as I took center stage, my tail dragging behind me. I sighed heavily. "Brothers, sisters, welcome. We are here to discuss the human called Savior to our people....my Hiccup."

"Will he die, oh Night Fury?" A small group of Terrors were huddled together to my left, one raising up to my eye level with a worried, nervous flap of its tiny wings. "He is almost kin to us, like a brother....will he die?"

My heart stung. I bore my teeth. "If I have anything to say about it, no."

Fireworm snorted loudly. "If left with his fellow humans, he will. I've seen the wound myself. It is poisoned beyond their knowledge of healing." She gave me a knowing nod. "You know it's true, Night Fury."

I sank low on my haunches. Gods almighty, she was right.

Not that humans were dumb creatures of no intelligence, of course. MY human, at least, was as smart as any dragon. But they couldn't work miracles, and this needed one desperately. What could be done?

Horrorcow yawned in her corner and scratched behind her ear lazily. "What if we healed him?" All eyes turned to the Gronckle, who got suddenly shy. "What I meant was...well..." She looked at me pleadingly. "Night Fury, your kind is capable of healing, aren't you?"

I narrowed my eyes. "If I was, I would've healed my tail a long time ago, stupid Gronckle."

She shook her heavy head. "No no, not like that. My kin have long told stories of Night Furies healing downed and dying dragons in need. Legends exist. Couldn't you do that?"

Fireworm mulled it over and nodded. "Such legends do exist, Toothless."

Vaguely, I could feel that they were right. But whether it would work on my Hiccup was another matter entirely. He was, regrettably, very human and very mortal. I could not bring death to him by my own hand. It would destroy me.

Still, no other option presented itself, and with the clan in agreement, it was decided that the very least I could do was try.

And try I must, for in my heart I could feel Hiccup's spirit fading.

* * *

I waited a full two days before I attempted what had to be done.

Being proud, I told myself and any dragon who asked that it was for the sake of Hiccup's father, who hadn't slept in so long that his eyes were darker than the rain. But the truth of it was, I was scared.

Me? A strong, fearsome Night Fury, scared? It was unheard of, but it was true. I had never healed any creature before in my life. The knowledge that I could do such a thing wasn't even mine until the others told me. And the way I was to do it... My poor human was weak and dying already, what if it killed him?

But the wait had strengthened my need to save him, for in the two days Hiccup had worsened and lay on what the humans were calling his death bed. The elder viking sat at his side, gently wiping his forehead with medicine water, in vain trying to call his spirit back from the void that had swallowed him. The chief was on the other side, holding Hiccup's hand tightly in his own enormous fist. The strength it took the massive viking to keep himself from crying had sapped all the life from his muscles, and my heart broke for him. Poor man.

The yellow haired female, Astrid they'd called her, sat in the doorway to the hut, holding her shoulders and sobbing quietly to herself. She had not visited in a long while, and for that I could not forgive her. I knew how my Hiccup felt for her, and she didn't have the decency to even pay her respects before now?

Temper, Toothless, I reprimanded myself. Anger wasn't going to bring my human back. Instead, I took my place at the foot of the bed, laying my head down near Hiccup's feet and preparing to do what had to be done.

Finally, the elder sighed and stood, looking to the chief with sympathy. "There is nothing anyone can do now, Stoick," she said in a voice as old and tired as the setting sun. "He will not live through the night." The chief nodded solemnly, losing his control and allowing a few tears to spill. Astrid in the door could not bear the news and ran outside, wailing, into the arms of her mother.

I felt my heart tighten, and I knew.

It was time.

Climbing gently into the bed until I was directly over Hiccup, I ignored the confused looks I got from the humans. The chief shook his head in wonder and touched my hide. "You are mourning him as well, Toothless?"

I ignored him.

With a heavy heart I raised a paw to touch his pale forehead, and closed my eyes. "Forgive me," I murmured. "Forgive me for what I am about to do."

And with that, I sank my teeth into his shoulder.

Pure chaos erupted.

I couldn't see or hear what the humans were doing, of course. I could only vaguely make out that they were frantically tugging on my tail and wings to try and remove my grip on Hiccup's shoulder.

But I couldn't think of them. Not now.

The fire in my belly welled to the surface, stinging my mouth and burning my teeth, but I willed it onward, onward into the body of my human. I became aware that my mouth was bleeding only when the blue flames seared the red that was dripping onto his shirt, but even then I couldn't stop. Not just yet.

With a loud moan, I wailed a prayer to the gods, begging, pleading for this to work. Begging that when I released, his eyes would be open and he would walk out with me.

"Get off of him!"

I shrieked as the blunt of an axe struck the back of my head, and I stumbled off the bed, panicked that perhaps it hadn't been enough. Stoick had his arms around my neck before I could move, pulling me up and out of the hut. "You devil!", he screamed, throwing hard and heavy things at my head in his rage, "You monster!! How dare you?!"

All the eyes of the village were on me, my fellow dragons holding their breaths, asking me silently if it had worked or not.

And then the screaming began.

I knew it was Hiccup right away. How could I not? But this was a scream that no human should have been capable of. My mouth still in pain, and the blood of my ordeal dripping from my gaping jaws, I ran to the window to watch.

Something had worked, as far as I could tell. He was awake, painfully awake. Hiccup writhed in pain, screaming in agony as he tore at the blankets. My heart tore in two. What had I done?!

"It BURNS!!" Tears were streaming from my human's eyes. "Dad, h-help me!! IT BURNS!!"

"Hiccup!" I cried to him, scratching at the window, trying to get back in. "I'm sorry Hiccup! I'm so sorry!"

The human called Gobber tackled me to the ground with a net and tied my legs together. Funny, I had always thought a human missing a hand and a leg wouldn't be so strong, but despite my best struggling I was helpless to him. He scowled fiercely at me. "I don't know what you did to him, Night Fury," he said, putting his face directly in front of mine, "But if he dies because of you, I'm going to personally help Stoick cook and eat you. Do you understand me?"

I nodded slightly, not sure if he caught it or not. Not that it mattered. My human's screams slowly died, fading into a far too heavy silence. It seemed an eternity until the chief came out, who motioned for Gobber to speak with him.

I couldn't hear, but whatever it was surprised them both.


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing I could make out was the sun streaming in from the window. It stung my eyes, so I naturally just rolled over and covered my head with a pillow.

The fact that I could do this jolted me awake.

Wait a sec, hadn't I been screaming in terrible agony last night? And before that, hadn't I been literally knocking on Hel's door and saying "pardon me ma'am, do you have room down here for me?" Nervously I wondered if I had actually died during the night and this was heaven, but looking around, I knew it couldn't be. Heaven would be full of angels and valkyries and Odin and whatnot. It so wouldn't be my dad's hut in Berk.

I scowled, thinking. But if I wasn't dead, and I was still here, then how in Odin's name was I not almost dead? Turning my attention to my missing limb, I was amazed to find that not only did it not hurt anymore, but what used to be red, angry flesh was now just a bunch of scabs and scarred skin.

It was completely healed.

"DAD!!" Joy filled every part of my small frame as I pulled my fake leg on and hobbled out of bed. "Dad, come here! You gotta see this!"

I felt more than okay. I felt better than I had in a long time. Run a marathon? Sure! that's how good I felt.

But where was Dad? Pulling open the heavy doors and stepping into the sunlight, several villagers gasped in surprise to see me up and about. I grinned like an idiot and waved. "I know! Isn't it great!?"

"YOU."

I didn't even have a chance to turn around before I found myself face first in the grass with a throbbing shoulder. "Ow! Astrid, what was THAT f--"

She tackled me, eyes red from...crying? Astrid could cry? "You son of a half troll, you scared me!! You spent all week practically dead, and now all of a sudden you're up and running like nothing happened?!" Astrid gritted her teeth and punched my arm HARD. "THAT is for scaring me."

"It wasn't my fault, I swear!" I covered my head with my arms and cowered on the ground, silently cursing the fact that my girlfriend was more than capable of breaking me in half. "I didn't mean to get suddenly better, I just DID!"

She thought it over and sighed, pulling me in for a kiss. "That's for....you know, not dying." Astrid looked down and bit her lip, rubbing at her eyes slightly. "This was different than when we fought the Red Death, you know. There, well....there had been hope you survived. Here, Elder Vanja said you wouldn't live the night, and---" Her voice broke, and she wiped her nose. "--And oh Hiccup, you looked so pale and thin and---"

I gently patted her shoulder, unsure of how to react. Astrid was so much stronger and tougher than anyone I knew, and here she was crying. And not just crying either, crying over ME! "C'mon Astrid, it's ok. I'm ok!" I smiled awkwardly. "Shouldn't we be, you know, celebrating that?"

Astrid nodded slightly and the ghost of a smile passed her lips. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She stood suddenly, pulling me up with her. "C'mon, we gotta get Toothless. After he bit you, they locked him up--"

"Woah woah woah, wait a minute. Toothless BIT me?!" I almost fainted. My best friend was a bit proud maybe, and very protective, and had been known to snap at the occasional passerby who looked at him the wrong way, but biting me?! Toothless?! "That's not like him at all! Why'd he do that?"

She shrugged. "I have no idea. No one does. Closest thing anyone's come up with is maybe he thought it'd wake you up." She snickered. "Technically, it worked."

Normally, the old training arena would've been a bit too long of a walk for me with my new leg, and Astrid offered to carry me part of the way, but that strong healthy feeling I'd had moments before didn't quit. It actually got bigger the more I walked, and the more I walked the better I felt. Trilling with excitement, I forgot about my missing limb and ran ahead of Astrid, ignoring her annoyed pleas to slow down in favor of running. Oh sweet running, how I'd missed you!

She was red faced, out of breath, and very annoyed when she finally caught up to me. "Did you forget that you're kind of missing something vital to running, chowderhead?!" Astrid scowled fiercely. "Keep this up and you'll get sick again."

I laughed loudly. "Astrid, I feel better than I have in months! Whatever Toothless did really hit the spot!"

I had never felt this way before, to be honest. So wildly happy, and so STRONG...

My heart leaped. I couldn't wait to see Toothless and ask him what happened.

* * *

It had been a good week since the craziness with my leg went down, and life was pretty much back to normal again.

Toothless had been overjoyed to see me, of course, and knocked me off my feet in his excitement. Dad was too shocked to say anything at the time, but later on he made sure my favorite dinner was waiting for me. I had to smile knowing that my tough old man had been worried about me.

It was being called a miracle, what happened. Even I had to admit I did wonder what exactly happened. My memories were all jumbled, full of fever and horrible burning sensations. All that anyone seemed to know was this: Toothless had bit me, I got better the next day. Needless to say, some of the more superstitious vikings were looking at my dragon with the awe usually awarded to the Gods. Some even thought he was Odin in dragon form!

Me, I knew better. Sitting on the edge of our cliff, what I liked to call our "hang out spot", I lazily reached back to rub under Toothless's chin. He wasn't a god, though that'd be cool. No, he was just very very special.

He rumbled a purr deep in his chest as I rubbed, pulling me to his body with a playful flick of his tail. Laughing, I began tickling him. Who woulda thought that dragons were ticklish, right? Toothless barked a harsh dragon laugh and wriggled away, bounding around the rocks, wagging his tail. Come and get me!, he seemed to say, and leaping to my feet I obliged. "Get back here, you overgrown salamander!" I laughed loudly and ran after him, Toothless easily dodging every move I made.

Running was easier since I healed. Almost as natural as breathing.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my newfound feelings of strength a LOT. One of the things I hated most about losing my leg after it happened was being so much slower than everyone else. But...There was something about it that just didn't sit well in my stomach about it. I couldn't say what, but those feelings didn't feel NORMAL to me.

I shook my head and continued running after Toothless. Panting and slightly out of breath, I shook my fist at him. "You win this round, reptile!", I shouted, a huge grin on my face. "But I shall have my revenge.

Toothless tilted his head back and roared triumphantly, then gave me a self satisfied grin. I rolled my eyes. Alright, don't rub it in already. Flopping back into the grass, I leaned back and stared at the sky. It was an unusually nice day in Berk, warm and sunny, and for some reason, I felt like sunning myself. Toothless seemed to want the same thing, because he laid down right next to me, sprawling out to get as much sun as possible. Smiling sleepily, I closed my eyes.

"I love you."

My eyes flew open. Sitting up slowly, I looked around. Maybe Astrid....but she wouldn't just walk up and SAY it like that. Shrugging, I laid back down, my head on Toothless's chest. Must be my vivid imagination, I decided. Toothless seemed to snicker at my behavior, and gently groomed the top of my head, purring softly. It felt nice, and the sun was SO relaxing..... I closed my eyes again.

"I love you, my little human."

That time I scrambled to my feet, eyes darting around confusedly. "Alright, who's saying that?"

Toothless tilted his head to one side, mirroring my confusion. He made a small grunt, like he always did when he was confused, but this time....

"Hiccup, what's wrong?"

No.

No way.

Not a chance.

I felt my eyes widen. In spite of myself, I started laughing. "Oh man, I've had some strange dreams before, but...." Gently, I punched Toothless's shoulder and grinned madly. "Thinking you can talk? Boy, what did I EAT, right?"

He didn't move, aside from one of his head fins perking up, but his eyes narrowed intensely. It seemed like he was staring right into my soul, and I felt a small twinge of fear at the base of my spine. Slowly, he lowered his head till it was an inch away from mine, his hot and heavy breath stinging my skin. "Hiccup...", he growled, sniffing my slightly, "Can you understand me?"

I could do nothing but nod stupidly, my mouth hanging open. "I--er...um... y-yes?"

* * *

We sat for an hour just staring at each other, neither one daring to speak.

That strong feeling from before? It now sat in the pit of my stomach like a ton of hot rocks, slowly cooking my insides with an uncomfortable heat. It didn't exactly help the awkward tension that my sudden knowledge of Draconian language had created.

I had a million questions. First and foremost, what in the name of Loki's daughter was WRONG with me?! Since when could I understand Toothless?! He was a freaking Dragon! Up till an hour ago, our communication had been confined to reading each other's body language. What happened to me?!

He sensed my dull panic, as he usually did, and gently reached across to me with his wing, gesturing for me to come closer. I hesitated, but complied, finding my usual spot beneath his mighty wing. Despite how warm he was, and how hot my insides were beginning to feel, I shivered. Toothless nudged me with his head. "You are frightened?"

A strangled laugh escaped my throat. I still couldn't get over the fact that MY DRAGON WAS TALKING TO ME. "No! well, um, you know, kinda but.....It's--It's fine. Really."

He shook his head. "I can hear your heart. You are frightened."

"Well can you really blame me?!" I shivered again. "Dragons don't talk, Toothless. Either I've gone mad, or I'm dreaming. There's no other explainations."

Toothless nudged me again, a low mournful sound eminating from his throat. "You are scared....of me?"

I shook my head frantically. "No! No no, never Toothless, not of YOU."

I felt his wings tighten around me. "Good."

Since the first time we connected as friends, I had wondered what he would sound like if he talked. Maybe deep and commanding, like my dad, or gruff like Gobber. Maybe he was young, and would sound like me. For all I knew, he could've been a SHE and sound like Astrid.

But now....I didn't really have an answer. He wasn't speaking my language, it was the same sounds he had always made, but I understood them. Vaguely, I wondered if maybe I was talking like him and not the other way around. The idea of me growling and snorting like a dragon amused me slightly, and I smiled at Toothless. He had turned away to stare at the slowly setting sun, a tiny smile on his long dragon maw.

Gently, I rubbed under his chin again. Well, it was strange, but not necessarily BAD. I sighed. Maybe it was just a fluke, but a fluke I could get used to.

We stayed that way together until the sun set, our shadows mixing in the dying light.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks for all the great comments everyone! :D now I'm sorry to disappoint a few of you, but this isn't a Dragonheart/HTTYD crossover, or even really inspired (conciously) by that movie. Truth is, I have never seen Dragonheart. Dunno why, but I just haven't. I KINDA know what happens, but.....yeah XD

Also, my apologies in advance for how short this chapter is. Next one will be longer, I SWEAR it.

* * *

Keeping the fact I could speak dragon a secret was a lot harder than I ever could've imagined.

It didn't help that I was friendly with just about every dragon that lived on Berk. I'd be trying to walk to the great hall, and I'd end up tackled by a 20-strong horde of Terrors. Or I'd be talking to Snotlout, and Fireworm, his Monstrous Nightmare, would nuzzle the back of my legs. They were everywhere, and now that I was privy to their conversations, it was very strange and kind of hard not to just talk back to them.

It was an eye-opener, though. I never would've guessed that my dragon-given name was Frelsar, which roughly translated meant "savior". It was a tremendous honor to walk around Berk and be greeted in such a reverent manner. I'd have to just smile sheepishly and wave, totally lost on how to respond. I didn't FEEL too much like a hero...

On top of that, I learned that they had a very complex pecking order and society that we had never even begun to suspect. At the top, and most respected, was Toothless. I'd noticed him snapping at naughty dragons before, but now I knew WHY: he was what kept them in line. What Toothless said, goes. Under him came the Nightmares and, surprisingly, the Zipplebacks. Apparantly two heads WERE better than one. Those two acted as sages and teachers, instructing the others and guiding them. After that, Nadders and Gronckles. The brute force. Not too smart, and the Nadders were insanely proud creatures, but they acted as the warriors. And finally, the tiny Terrors. The others didn't pay them too much mind, and they didn't seem to fit any sort of spot in society, but Toothless would just shake his head and tell me that I was "thinking like a human" about it. Maybe he was right. Maybe the Terrors were like the Hiccups of the dragon world.

I would've been perfectly happy just spending my days learning about dragons. But with winter so close at hand, there were much bigger things to think about than myself. After all, as the son of the chief, I had to learn how to govern an entire village. Before, Dad had never really bothered to teach me anything, content to have me be a blacksmith and out of the way for the rest of my life. But since the great battle, my status in the village had increased so much that I was basically more important than my dad. So lucky me, I had to learn this stuff.

Not that it was BORING, but I just couldn't remember everything he was saying. It seemed like too much responsability, and had very little to do with my interests. So when the daily lessons were done, I practically flew out of our hut and down to the cliffside, eager to get in the air with Toothless.

The weather had taken a dip towards the cold side, but while everyone else was bundled in furs and leather to break the cold, I couldn't bring myself to do the same. It just....it was far too hot if I wore anything other than my shirt, pants and riding gear. Very weird, considering Fishlegs had cheerfully informed us that it was about 5 degrees warmer than freezing. The gang had stared at me like I had three heads when I said I was hot.

But I was. I was hot all the time now.

Toothless sensed how lost in thought I was, and rumbled slightly under my touch. "What's wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing." I barely was paying attention to where we were going. I didn't have to. "Just....have a lot on my mind, that's all."

He shifted slightly, turning us north towards the cliffs of the mainland. "Seems you've had a lot on your mind more often than usual."

I hesitated slightly, clicking the fake fin into the second position to steady us. "Toothless, why did--", A sharp burst of heat in my stomach caught me offguard, and I coughed violently. "I think I'm getting sick again."

I couldn't see his face, but I knew Toothless thought otherwise. "Why did what?"

The shriek of the wind almost drowned out his voice, and I clicked the fin to 5th, preparing for landing. I sighed, seeing my breath trail out behind me in a faint wisp of smoke. Gods, it really must be cold if I could see my breath. So why wasn't I freezing!? "I dunno, why do dragons not get cold?" We landed easily on the grass, covered in a premature frost. Winter was almost there.

Toothless shook a little ice from his wings before blowing fire on a small patch and laying down. "We have our fires to keep us warm." He tilted his head. "Why?"

I drew in close to him, pulling my knees into my chest, and watched the waves crash below us. "No reason. Just curious."

* * *

Eventually, Astrid noticed how weird I was acting.

It was inevitable, of course. Hiding anything from that viking female was not only stupid, but impossible. She was GOING to find out.

That's how I found myself on the ground, in a headlock. "Ow! Astrid, for the last time, there's nothing wrong with me!"

She glared daggers at me. "Oh yes there is. Do you have any idea how cold it is right now?" I shook my head. It was true, I didn't have a clue. "Of course not." Astrid smacked the back of my head. "So WHY don't you have a coat, or at least some kind of covering on? Do you WANT to get sick again?!"

"I keep telling you, I'm not cold!"

"How can you possibly NOT be cold!?" She flopped down on top of my with a thud, ejecting the air that had been in my lungs at high speed. It left a long unmistakeable smoke trail as it rose, and I couldn't help but think that it couldn't be THAT cold. Astrid hadn't noticed. "Hey, I'm talking to you!"

It was moments like this that I wished I was strong/brave/stupid enough to fight back against her, and show her that I wasn't just a doormat. Gritting my teeth, I tried to push her off my stomach. "Astrid, c'mon, you're hurting me!" Instead of complying, she dug her heels into my sides and laughed. That aggrivated the heat in my stomach, so much so that for a moment I couldn't breathe. "Astrid, please get off!" Frantically, I grabbed her arm and tried to pull her off me. "I MEAN IT!"

I succeeded.

Astrid shrieked in surprise as she flew two feet and smacked into the ground, three large gashes appearing on her arm and staining her sleeve crimson. Too shocked to speak, I just looked at my hands in fear. What had I done?!

She wasted no time in pulling herself back up to her feet, eyes wide and staring at me. "Hiccup, what-- How did you---" Roughly pulling some of the tattered fabric around her scratched arm, Astrid shook her head. "What's gotten into you?!"

I looked away, too stunned and embarrassed to do anything else. "I don't know."

Astrid didn't say another word, just walking off towards the healer's hut in search of a proper dressing for her wound. How had I scratched her?, I wondered sadly, idly drawing nonsense shapes in the dirt. I didn't have my knife. Besides, those looked more like...

"Like....Claw marks...."

I looked at my hands again. For a moment I didn't see anything out of the ordinary, and I was about to write the whole thing off, and that maybe Astrid just hit a sharp rock on the way down, but then I saw them.

Little buds, nothing compared to Toothless's, but what had once been perfectly normal human nails were now darkened and pointed. Shakily I touched one, both frightened and fascinated at how different it felt. So much harder, so much more powerful....

I was up and running towards Elder Vanja's hut before I even knew I was panicking. I needed to know.

I needed to know what in Odin's name was happening to me.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Holy moley, this thing has gotten so many reviews, favs, and watches that I don't even know where to start thanking you guys :D rest assured, I won't stop writing this till I finish! but um, I'm kinda stuck on how to finish it. any and all suggestions will be met with love!

also, no, I still haven't seen Dragonheart. Um, I kinda wanna wait till after I'm done though so it doesn't influence the story ok? I will do it, promise, but not right now.

On with the story!

* * *

I had known, from that first moment he spoke in my language, exactly what my human was to become.

I would be lying if I said I was not elated.

Hiccup was already seen as more than an equal to my kin. That he was to join us was like a gift from the gods themselves. I almost had to bite my tongue to keep my joy hidden from him, even as his scent began to change from that of a human to the darker, hotter scent of a Night Fury.

But I couldn't share my joy with him. For some reason, the knowledge of his changes upset Hiccup immensely. After a failed attempt to see the viking elder, he had left my side for hours, holed up in his room, too distraught to even move. I had tried to enter, encouraging him to come fly with me, but he'd simply turn away and hide his head under the heavy blankets.

The yellow haired Astrid came after a few days, and though my jealousy would taint my opinion of her, even I had to admit that her concern was touching. Hiccup at first didn't want to face her, but she dared to pull him up to sit next to her, a kind smile on her face.

"It didn't hurt, really," she said with a gentle tap on her bandaged arm. "I was more surprised than anything." She laughed. "You're a lot stronger than you let on, Hiccup."

My human shook his head, dark brown hair falling over his eyes. "But that's the thing, Astrid...I've never been strong enough to push anyone. Ever. Why now?" I sat in the corner of the room, yellow eyes intently focused on him, a burst of joy coursing through my veins. Oh, I knew why. I knew EXACTLY why.

Astrid laughed again. "It's all that work you've been doing with your dad, stupid!" She punched his arm. "All that hauling and herding and pushing and pulling....Hiccup, if you do become our chief, you're pretty much destined to have muscles made of iron."

Hiccup smiled that silly, beautiful crooked smile of his and touched Astrid's cheek. "Thanks Astrid, you always know how to cheer me up."

My eyes narrowed dangerously as their lips met. Temper, I reminded myself. She was Hiccup's.

But Hiccup was MINE.

I growled soft enough for just Hiccup to hear me. "I let her touch you this once in my presence. Never again."

He jerked his head around to stare at me, a slightly annoyed look on his face. "What the heck do you mean by that?"

"Hiccup?" Astrid's confusion filled the air. "Um, why did you suddenly start....you know, growling?"

"Huh?" Hiccup looked back at her, fear in his eyes. "Wait, you---you couldn't understand me just now?" She shook her head slowly, and Hiccup made a small squeaking sound. "Oh boy....Oh that's not good..." Standing up quickly, he ran a clawed hand through his hair. eyes still wide and frightened. "Listen, Astrid, I---"

She followed him up, lightly touching his chest, backing him into the wall. "You know, that's kinda cute," she said with a smirk. "Pretending to talk to your dragon. Heh, that's VERY cute." Astrid mussed his hair and laughed gaily. "I might have to try it on Frigg sometime!"

Somehow, I didn't think that this human female would ever understand just how offended a Nadder would get if she abused our language around it, no matter how much said Nadder loved his rider. Part of me wanted to warn Hiccup of this fact, but I stilled my tongue. It may be good for amusement, after all.

Hiccup stayed close to the wall after Astrid announced that it was time for her to leave, leaning on the rough surface for support even as she kissed his cheek and ran out with a flip of her yellow hair. He sunk to the floor and gazed up at me. "Well," he said with a sigh, "At least she thought I was just kidding. That's a plus."

I lazily stretched out at his feet, yawning. "She will find out soon enough."

He turned away. "You're enjoying my slow transformation into a demon, aren't you?"

Baring my teeth in what I thought was a smile, I shrugged. "Not a demon, my little Hiccup. One of my kin. And yes, I am enjoying it."

"Figures." Hiccup closed his eyes, frowning. "It figures you would, seeing as it's YOUR fault."

I flicked my tail, the red of the fake fin faintly glowing in the firelight. "You are....angry with me?"

He coughed hard, a small wisp of smoke escaping his mouth. I winced. The fire within was growing larger in my Hiccup. If he didn't release it soon...Hiccup merely drew his knees in closer to his chest, laying his head upon them sadly. "Well....no, not really. I mean, I can't be angry. You saved my life. I kinda owe you one."

Not angry. Confused, yes, and frightened, but not angry.

Gently, I rubbed my head against his neck, nuzzling affectionately. Hiccup did finally smile at this, patting my head. "Ok Toothless, you're forgiven. You can stop now."

I smirked, no intentions to stop whatsoever. With one push of my forepaw, Hiccup was on the floor of the hut underneath me. He was laughing, repeating the phrase "You crazy reptile" over and over again as his small hands darted out to try and retaliate. Deftly, I lashed my tongue out and licked the nape of his neck, sending him into a laughing fit. "Toothless, stop that!" He tried to push me off, to no avail. He was laughing too hard.

Suddenly, an idea formed in my head. Just how dragon was my Hiccup now? I sat up and stared thoughtfully at the underside of his chin. This would be a very sensitive area on a dragon, one touch would make even the mightiest Nightmare dissolve into a quivering heap.

It was too much for my curious mind. Lightning quick, I licked under his chin twice.

He let out a very unhuman moan and hit the floor, a dazed smile wide upon his lips. "Woah..." He closed his eyes, gently wrapping his arms around his head. "Tooth---Toothless, could you..." One eye cracked open, pleadingly. "Could you do that again?"

Grinning in triumph, I obliged.

It was selfish of me. I knew this. But I was too proud to care.

Hiccup was mine to claim. In spirit, and very soon, in body, he would be mine.

* * *

Before too long, the sun disappeared behind winter's cold wings, and the snows came.

As usual, the Nadders took to sleeping in coves near the sea, with one staying awake to fuel the ever-raging fires that kept them warm. Hordes of Terrors took to hiding in people's houses, often without permission, and it became a humorous daily event to watch the humans chase them out. As for the rest of my kin, they flew back to the old nest to nestle in the warmth of the earth's fire and wait out the cold.

We Night Furies needed no such period of rest. Our flames kept us warm enough, and so I didn't need to leave.

This proved to be an asset, because with Hiccup's changes came the suspicion he raised in his fellow vikings.

As his claws grew, he took to wearing heavy gloves to conceal them. This was ignored, for they assumed it to be part of his blacksmith trade. But it was when his teeth began falling out one by one that they wondered if he was diseased or cursed.

He seemed to share their sentiment.

I found him by the frozen bank of our favorite lake, staring at his reflection, fingering the hollow holes where his teeth had been. "I'm frightented, Toothless...", he said with a hand upon my head. My attempts to console him fell on deaf ears. All I could do is stay at his side.

It only got worse when his new teeth came in.

Hard, sharp as knives, and too large for his human mouth, Hiccup could barely talk to anyone without revealing his new smile to the village. So the mask arrived, covering his face in a black shroud of mystery.

Black had been my idea. Only fitting for a growing Night Fury, I thought.

Then there was the time he coughed so hard he set his bed on fire. The fire had been small, too weak to make anything explode, but the effect it had on Hiccup was instantaneous and devastating. I couldn't remember ever seeing my little human shake so hard and cry for so long, huddled under his blankets to wallow alone in his misery.

That hurt deep, though I understood why.

Until that point, my selfishness had consumed my mind, my every thought filled with excite thoughts of what I could share with Hiccup once the transformation was complete, what fiercely guarded dragon secrets I could give to him, and the glorious moment of teaching him to fly by himself. I had ignored his fear and disgust at his changing body, silencing my conscience with assurances that he'd thank me later for it.

But this...this was my fault.

Hushed voices outside the hut alerted my attention, and reluctantly I left his side to investigate. It was that Gobber human, nervously whispering to my Hiccup's father.

"It's not just you, Stoick", he was saying, leaning heavily on the side of the hut. "Flippin' everyone's in a frenzy over this. In his sixteen years of livin', Hiccup's never acted so strange. And that mask? People are starting to talk." He sighed. "You say you have no idea what's wrong with him?"

Stoick shrugged, shaking his head. "None. He won't talk to me. And everytime I try to take that mask off, Toothless is right there to growl at me. It's like....." He looked around and leaned closer. "It's like the dragon knows what's going on. Unnerving, the whole situation."

Gobber nodded. "Some people think Toothless is to blame for it. After that whole healing thing two months ago, people are still thinking he's some kind of God."

"At this point, nothing would surprise me Gobber." Stoick ran a thick hand through his hair, glancing back towards the door. "But I thought me and Hiccup....I thought he was talking to me more, you know? We were actually talking again. Now, he hardly talks to anyone."

Gobber's eyes widened. "But surely Astrid--"

He shook his head. "Nope, not even Astrid. In fact, he ran from her the other day. Poor girl is very confused." Stoick smiled sadly. "And here I thought we would have a wedding come summer." I silenced a growl, ears pinned back against my head at the very thought. The yellow haired girl? Marry MY Hiccup?

The blacksmith patted the chief's shoulder. "You still might, Stoick. Maybe this is just a phase he's going through. He is a teenager, after all."

I had heard enough. Darting silently through the darkness back to Hiccup's side, I carefully lifted his sleeping frame into my arms and laid down with him. He made a small cooing noise and nuzzled into my hot breast, the mask slipping ever so slightly to reveal a toothy smile. My heart broke.

He could be so happy as a dragon, I knew he could.

Why was he fighting it?


	5. Chapter 5

A/n: Holy jesus, what a lot of awesome comments 3 thank you one and all!

Now, to address a few concerns:

For starters, I've gotten a lot of comments asking how the heck Toothless is supposed to fly if Hiccup goes full-draco. Um, to be brutally honest, I'm still figuring that one out. Lol, gimme a few chapters, I'll hammer it out.

Next, Astrid. SO many people are wondering if I'm gonna give her the shaft in favor of slashytimes. The short answer is no. Frankly, the sassy viking lass was my third or fourth favorite character. Ain't no way I'm gonna make her evil or a jerk or anything to get toothless and hiccup together. Yeah, toothless doesn't like her that much, but that's subject to change.

Third, YES THIS IS GONNA BE SLASH. It's right there in the synopsis for the story. Don't like it? Well I'm sorry about that. However, I can promise a bit of a twist on this pairing if you stick it out :D

Next, I have to send a shout out to a very special reviewer. Narilyte left me what might be the greatest, most helpful, most FULL OF WIN comment I have ever recieved. This thing was like seven paragraphs long and made of pure awesome. thank you so flipping much.

Anywhore, on with the story!

* * *

The first major storm of winter had arrived, and the toll it took on Berk was evident.

Howling winds, freezing rain, and more snow than a decent person would care to think about pummeled our little village, trapping just about everyone inside. Some had to venture out, however. They were in charge of bringing food and fixing whatever damage occured before it got worse.

I was the son of the chief. Which group do you THINK I was in?

"Hiccup!", my dad yelled through the shriek of the wind, "Take Toothless to Ottar and Helga's hut and get them out of there! The mountain's about to collapse!"

One glance at Mount Skuld told me everything I needed to know. Fishlegs and his parents were in deep, deep trouble. "Toothless, c'mon buddy we gotta get over there!" He nodded in agreement and I jumped on, strapping myself in to keep from blowing away.

For five generations, Fishlegs and his ancestors had always lived at the foot of the mountain, going so far as to claim kinship with the spirits that lived there. Once when I was young and stupid I had asked Fishlegs if that meant they were half-troll or something. He ran away crying, and I got a beating for even suggesting it.

But their choice of living there became lethal every winter, because like clockwork, the mountain would rumble and an avalanche would threaten to fall. Most winters it didn't.

This winter, not so lucky.

"Hurry Toothless, it's gonna fall!" The freezing rain stung my eyes and threatened to freeze them shut, even through my mask. I was essentially running blind, though Toothless knew where to go. I clung tighter to the harness, squinting as hard as I could to see as we ran full tilt into the storm.

Then, with a sickening crack, it fell.

Toothless slid to a halt just in time, letting out a panicked roar. Jumping off his back, I ran forward into the mounds of snow, digging furiously to find what had once been a hut. "No no no no, oh Gods please..." Stripping the gloves from my hands, I used my new claws to tear through ice as hard as stone, praying with everything I had that I wouldn't be too late. It might've been my imagination, but I could swear I heard screams deep within the snow. They were alive, but wouldn't be for long.

Panic set in. I wasn't going to reach them in time, not like this.

I didn't want to. I really didn't.

But one glance at Toothless told me I had to.

The teeth retracted. The fire grew.

And with a small grunt of surprise, I unleashed hell.

The force of the explosion sent me flying backwards into Toothless, knocking the both of us over. My head swam, and my mouth itched like you wouldn't believe. Hesitantly, I opened my eyes. It worked! There was the hut, slightly singed from my fire, and still too covered to get them out yet, but it was there. I whooped with joy and ran over to the window. "Fishlegs! Are you in here? Are you alright?"

The house was a complete disaster inside. In places the roof had caved in, and most of their belongings were on the ground or hanging haphazardly. I could make out the forms of Ottar and Helga in the corner, clinging to each other, and from where I was I couldn't tell if they were alive or not. My heart sank.

"Hiccup!" Fishlegs was halfburied by a pile of logs and shields, and was struggling in vain to free himself. He'd never been a particularly brave viking, but now he was quaking with fear. "Hiccup, m-my parents, help them first!" He coughed violently. "Oh Gods, p-please help them, they're not moving!"

I was small enough to fit through the window. Crawling over to Fishlegs, I gave him a reassuring pat on the back and threw a blanket over him. It would have to do for now. I then turned my attention to his parents. Hurt, frozen, and fading fast, but I could smell life in them.

Smell?

I shook my head. Oh no you don't, I told myself. You can be freaked out by your weird new body later. Right now, they needed my help.

Horrid scraping noises came from the front door, and before too long Toothless bashed the door in, shrieking at me to hurry. The mountain had more fury to unleash, and we had to get outta there NOW. "Help me lift them up!" Toothless nodded, scrambling through the debris and nudged underneath their unconcious bodies as I lifted. Somehow I got them onto his back and strapped them in before he took off at full tilt towards the town hall.

Another terrible crack tore through the sky. We were running out of time.

Fishlegs whimpered in pain, tugging at a piece of lumber that had fallen on his legs. I winced, scrunching my nose. The scent....the stinging red scent of blood and muscle was all over him. It was getting hard to concentrate. "Hiccup, go get your dad!" His voice was shaky, frightened. "P-Please! I don't wanna die!"

"There's no time!" I sprang onto the wooden beam, tugging as hard as I could. "I'm not going to leave with you!"

Blood.

It was everywhere, filling my senses. I groaned, closing my eyes, trying to block the horror from my vision. He wouldn't make it if I wasn't strong enough to lift this. And I wasn't.

Was I?

A surge of anger burned my chest. No, I wasn't going to let him die.

I dug my claws in, splintering wood and cutting the underside of my palms. I bared my teeth.

And I roared in my fury, hurtling the heavy beam across the hut to crash into the other side.

Fishlegs just sat and stared at me, eyes wide in shock. Breathing heavily, I offered my hand. "C'mon, we gotta get you out of here!" To my surprise, he backed away, dragging his broken leg and leaving a scarlet trail behind him. I approached him again. "I'm not kidding, you have to leave!" He refused to budge, cowering away from my hand. "Fishlegs, it's ME! Hiccup! Wh-Why are you scared of me?"

"Your eyes....Hiccup, what's wrong with your eyes...."

* * *

Fishlegs refused to talk about what happened in his now destroyed hut.

Reunited with his recovering parents and his leg wrapped and treated, he would tell anyone who asked that he was just thankful that I got there in time.

But he wouldn't look at me.

Once he was safe, I darted away, leaving even Toothless behind. I HAD to see.

Gobber wasn't at the smithy when I arrived. Thank the gods for small miracles. I scrambled around for the first reflective surface I could find, finally settling on a polished helmet. Gulping my fear down, I looked.

The helmet hit the floor with a loud CLANG.

"Oh my gods...."

Shakily, I took another look. Nope, I hadn't dreamt it. The harsh yellow eyes, the black slits for pupils.....Almost identical to Toothless. I touched the lids of each, moaning my disbelief to find the skin around it had turned hard and cracked, soon to be scales for sure.

These were my eyes now.

How in Thor's name was I supposed to keep this hidden from everyone? The mask, burned to a crisp in the rescue, and the gloves lost in the snow, they could be replaced. But how was I supposed to shield the village from the eyes of a demon?

One hand went to where my leg had been. It was all this stupid limb's fault, I thought with a snarl. Angrily, I tore the prosthetic off and tossed it to the floor, pulling my pant leg up to stare at the emptiness.

I slapped a hand to my head. "Oh you've gotta be kidding me."

Remember the 'scabs' that had formed the day I healed? Well apparantly they never went away, instead fusing together and turning black. The skin around the closed wound was as hard and tough and smooth as Toothless's legs, and the black scales were winding a faint trail up the remainder of my limb. In no time at all, it would be completely covered.

This was the final straw. It would only be a matter of time before I couldn't hide what was happening to me in any way.

I had to tell someone.

And the only someone who came to mind was Astrid.

* * *

"...So that's the situation."

I was ready for just about anything. Screaming, a severe beating, her to run away from me and never look at me again.

Instead, Astrid stood, staring at me with unreadable eyes, scanning every inch of my still changing body. After what seemed like forever, she heaved a sigh, balling her hands into fists. "Hiccup...." She shook her head, a glare slowly spreading over her face until I thought it would break, "Of all the idiotic things you've done, THIS is the worst." I backed away a little, dumbstruck. "How could you not tell me the second this started happening?" Astrid turned away angrily, arms crossed. "Do you not trust me or something? Is that it?"

"No! I mean, I do trust you!" I grabbed her shoulder, pleadingly. "I'm just--Astrid, I'm frightened. I didn't know how you'd react or if you'd never talk to me again or--"

She punched my shoulder. "I love you, stupid. Why would this change anything?" She smiled faintly, running a finger over my claws. "Look, this is bad. Way bad. But I'm sure Elder Vanja will know what to do, ok? Don't worry, before you know it you'll be back to your old Hiccupy self."

I smiled wide. "Once again, you know exactly how to cheer me up." Her smiled faltered at the sight of my sharp teeth, but she didn't run. Instead, she pulled me in for a bonecrushing hug, one I reciprocated eagerly.

Maybe things really would be alright.

* * *

"In all my years, I have never seen anything like this."

Elder Vanja peered closer into my eyes, studying them. "This is truly a mystery. And you say this began after your Night Fury bit you?" I nodded slowly, shifting uneasily in my seat. "Interesting...." Carefully, she sat down across from me, clutching her stick, and sighed. "I am at a loss to explain this. I don't even know whether you've been cursed or not."

Toothless bared his teeth in an indignant growl. "Curse indeed. How dare she?"

I shushed him, then turned back to the elder. "So....there's no cure at all?"

To my surprise, she smiled. "Now, I didn't say that, young Hiccup. There's always a way through the gods." Closing her weathered old eyes, she reached into her pouch and took out a handful of runes, spreading them carefully and purposefully across the floor in front of us, humming to herself. As she opened her eyes, she frowned. "Hmm...very interesting indeed."

Astrid stood over my shoulder to read. "What? What do they say?"

Vanja gave me a knowing look. "You have two paths, son of Stoick. One will lead you back to Berk, and one will see you leave it forever. One of two legs, one of four. But know this," and here she leaned close, "Your only hope of staying human lies within the apples of Idunn, outside the walls of Asgard."

Me and Astrid looked at each other. "Um, not to be disrespectful, but don't those apples just...you know...make you live forever and stuff?"

"For the gods, yes." She smiled wider. "For mortals....not so much. It will restore you completely, however."

Astrid leaned her head against her knees, deep in thought. "How are we supposed to get there? And how long do we have?"

I gave her a surprised glance. "W-We?"

She rolled her eyes. "You really think I'm gonna let you go alone?" I felt my cheeks turn red, and I looked down as she giggled softly.

Vanja touched my shoulder. "Follow the chariot of the sun west for two seasons, and you will find Asgard." Her face turned dark. "But you haven't much time. From the moment your dragon bit you, I'd say you would have had a full year. Now, you have but eight months." She turned towards the window, pointing to the darkened sky outside. "You have till the first snow falls in Autumn."

My heart sank. Eight months? On the one hand, I'd never been away from home for such a long period of time before. On the other hand, eight months was nothing. A blink of an eye. It'd be over before we knew it, and by then it'd be too late.

Astrid patted me on the back and stood up. "Well, guess we better start packing then." She bowed to the elder woman. "Thank you so much, Vanja. You've been a big help."

"Beware, young Hiccup," Vanja grabbed my arm, eyes flashing. "You do not know them yet, but the deep, primal instincts of an ancient beast will soon be yours to bear. Resist at all costs. The more you give in, the faster you change."

With almost an audible whumph, I felt the ground fly right out from under me. My head swam. "Wh--you--R-Really?" Oh, that was just the best news I'd EVER recieved. I held my head.

"Oh gods, I am so doomed."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: OH MY GOD YOU GUYS. I have not abandoned you, I swear to God I haven't. There's been a lot of drama on my end IRL, so that's where I've been. Biggest of all? My computer, where I started this story, died a sad and horrible death, so I had to buy a brand new computer. Sadness. But here I am again!

Once again, i have to thank all of you for being awesome. I've NEVER recieved so many comments on a story of mine before. you're all amazing.

* * *

"You have to go home eventually, Hiccup."

I looked up from my stool. "Wh-What?"

Gobber gave me a stern look before going back to his work. "To face your father. He deserves to know."

He motioned for his hammer. Begrudgingly, I handed it to him, no longer even amazed that I could easily lift such a large and heavy instrument. In one fluid motion, he let the hammer swing with a clang against the hot metal that would soon be a shield. Gobber had insisted I get a new one before we left. He was the first person outside of Astrid I'd told about my condition. Why?

He practically raised me, that's why.

In usual Gobber fashion, he'd raised his eyebrows and inspected what was different, before shrugging his shoulders and declaring loudly that "if this fool has to leave the village by himself, I'm going to make extra sure he doesn't get himself killed".

The storms had abated for now, and the plan was to send me, Astrid and Toothless on our way tomorrow morning. Briefly, Astrid had suggested that we sail there, but Toothless would have none of that. He was more than capable of braving the winds, he'd said, and the sea was far more dangerous.

Convincing my bull-headed dragon to go along with our journey was far tougher than any wind or wave, to be honest.

It wasn't hard to see. Toothless delighted in every little change I encountered. I could understand why, but it didn't help the situation at all.

He snorted and turned his nose away when we made the plan. "What's the point in going, Hiccup?", he'd say, snapping at my heels, trying to get me to stop preparing for our journey. "It will be too dangerous for Astrid, won't it?"

I just rolled my eyes. "I'm convinced Fenrir the wolf wouldn't be able to stop her, Toothless. Besides," I grabbed another bag of dried meat, "She's my friend."

Toothless bared his teeth slightly. "But the weather, it will be merciless. You and I, we can handle it. She's a mere human!"

"Hey!" I glared at him. "Don't put her down because of that. I'm human too, you know!"

"Are you?" He smiled haughtily, nudging me with his nose. "You don't SMELL human anymore."

A small chill went up my spine. I took a quick whiff of my hands, and recoiled. Oh gods….he was right. Shaking my head, I went on packing. "Well, so I don't smell human. So what? I know what I am." Toothless shrugged, and curled up despondently near my bed, eyes fixed on me as I tied my sack closed. "Besides, as soon as we get to Asgard, I'll be back to normal in no time."

"I like you better like this."

I sighed. "Yeah, I'm sure you do." Gently, I placed my hand on his back. "Do this for me, Toothless? As—As cool as it would be to be a dragon, I'm just NOT. I need to change back. I couldn't live like…well, like this forever. Do you understand?"

"No." He narrowed his eyes. "I do not understand. I know you could be happy. In time, you'll see it too." Toothless sighed heavily, and closed his eyes. "But since you ask me, I shall take you. You and that—that female."

I closed my eyes and tried to think of something, anything else. I thought about dad, and how I was going to break the news to him. I thought about Astrid, asking questions like "how did I get so lucky to have someone crazy like her?". I even thought about Gobber, and what he would do without me as his apprentice.

But my mind continuously ran back to what Toothless had said. 'In time, you'll see it too'. Truth be told, of all the strange things happening to me and my uncertain future, it was this that scared me the most. Would I really lose myself as the changes progressed? Toothless and the other dragons were intelligent, with Toothless almost as smart as the wisest of men and the Nightmares able to figure out complex puzzles, but they were far from human. Their minds worked differently. As mine changed, would Hiccup the human die with it? It frightened me terribly. Even now, with my body mostly human, I could feel a tiny push on the back of my brain, a small, dull rumble of strange thoughts and ideas. Without really thinking about it, it could be ignored. But ignoring things hadn't worked so far, and I got the feeling that these instincts would only get stronger.

With a final THUD, Gobber finished my shield and handed it off to me. "There ya go, Hiccup! It'll take more than a Gronkle can dish out to break this beauty." His eyes misted over a little. "Hold it proudly, and it will serve you well. Gods know I want to see you return in one piece."

I said nothing, throwing my arms around the blacksmith's waist. "I'll come back. Promise."

* * *

Funny thing was, as our journey neared closer and closer, Dad was hard to find.

By now, someone had told a couple villagers and they'd told their friends and they told THEIR friends, and…well, pretty much the whole village knew about me. Why couldn't I live in a town that wasn't so close-knit?

I didn't even bother to cover my face as I ran around, making the final preparations. It was more than a little interesting to see people's reactions to me, and if I hadn't been really frightened, it would've been a little funny. Most of them just kind of stared at me weird, not daring to ask anything about it, but they were perfectly willing to talk to me and help us out. Others avoided us like we had the plague, recoiling in horror.

Then there was Snotlout.

"Oh MAN, Hiccup, this is so AWESOME!" His eyes bugged out slightly when I showed him my still-growing claws, giddy with excitement. "You look so—so TOUGH, you know? I wouldn't mess with you, THAT'S for sure!"

Ruffnut grabbed my head roughly and pulled me back to stare at my eyes. "Wooooow, it really is like staring at a dragon!" She grinned, motioning for her twin to come look. "Hey Hiccup, if you change all the way, can I be your rider?"

I blushed furiously and pulled away. "Wh-What? No! I mean, I'm not GONNA change all the way, so just forget it!"

"Aww c'mon!" Tuffnut started poking my back hard. "What, no wings yet?"

"Oh wings would just make you super cool, Hiccup—"

Astrid stormed over and pulled me away, kicking Ruffnut especially hard. "Leave him alone you vultures! Poor guy's been through enough, alright?"

Snotlout rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "Sorry Astrid." He thought for a minute before perking up and grabbing her wrist. "Hey, if Hiccup DOES go all dragon-y, maybe you and I could—"

He never had a chance to finish. Astrid had flipped him on his back and kicked him in the stomach before the words had left his mouth. "Not in a million years, Snotlout."

I sat on the ground, mortified beyond belief. "The sooner we leave, the better."

Tuffnut laughed, thumping me on the back. "Aww, we're just kidding. Secretly, we're all jealous that you get to leave and we have to stay."

"Hey, question." Ruffnut looked around. "Anyone seen Fishlegs?"

Snotlout shrugged. "Isn't he still recovering from a broken leg?"

"Well yeah, but he was walking with a crutch the other day, so—"

"Come to think of it, he hasn't hung out with us since the accident happened. I wonder why?"

Groaning, I pulled my legs into my chest. Of course. I knew why Fishlegs was nowhere to be seen. After all, I'd been there.

It hurt, you know? It hurt a lot. Back before I'd become a hero, before anything interesting happened to me, Fishlegs had been the closest thing I had to a best friend. He tolerated me at the very least, happily spouting off his vast knowledge of dragons and their weaknesses, or talking about some cool fact he'd learned. Heck, he was the one who taught me to read when my dad had deemed reading a "massive waste of time", end quote.

And now, he wanted nothing to do with me.

Eventually, the others ran off, promising to come back to see us off, and even Astrid left to say goodbye to her mother. I was alone again. Really, I didn't mind. Gave me time to think about everything. Eight months…Eight months…Were we even going to make it? What if we didn't? What was that path that would keep me from returning home? I looked at my hands despondently. Only a couple days since the storm, but the claws had grown to twice the size they'd been before, and it even seemed as though my fingers had shrunk. It made sense, seeing as Toothless's paws were solid masses of muscles with the claws jutting out from the ends. If things progressed, I wouldn't HAVE fingers anymore. That old familiar shudder of horror gripped my stomach, but I couldn't tear my eyes away. No more drawing, or holding a hammer, or…

Or touching Astrid on the cheek, or holding her hand at our wedding, or picking up our future child—

The tears started without warning, and wouldn't stop.

"Hiccup?"

Startled, I jumped to my feet (well, foot), and looked towards the voice. My eyes widened. "Fishlegs?"

He hobbled towards me cautiously, leaning heavily on a wooden crutch. "Um, hey, can I talk to you?" I nodded, and he carefully made his way over and sat next to me, favoring his good leg the whole way. Self-consciously, I looked away from him, trying to hide the fact I'd just been crying. Fishlegs sighed heavily. "Listen, I—I heard you and Astrid were leaving for…well, you know." I heard him sniffle softly before continuing. "And—And I just thought, you know, I couldn't let you leave without…" He sighed again. "I never thanked you for saving me and my family. We really coulda died, you know?"

I looked at him, smiling slightly. "Don't worry about it."

"No, just hear me out." He wiped his eyes. "You an' Toothless risked your lives to save us, and I—I was too scared of you to say thanks."

"Don't worry about it, Fishlegs." I put a hand on his shoulder and patted it gently.

His eyes fell on the long claws. "So…so you're really…" I nodded, closing my eyes. Fishlegs nudged me slightly. "Hey, I'm sure wherever you're going will fix it. You'll be back to normal in no time." I could almost hear him smiling, though the sound of his heart racing betrayed how nervous I made him. "And—And when you get back, we can all go flying together again, right?"

I nodded. "Sure Fishlegs. I'd like that."

* * *

Morning rose.

Everything was packed.

It was time to leave.

Toothless rumbled under my hand, staring at me, trying to convince me that this crazy venture didn't need to be done. Several villagers wished us luck, and the gang even brought us extra jackets to stay warm. It hadn't been as cold as last week, but as soon as we took off Astrid would be freezing. She was getting a fur hat tied around her head by her mother, who grabbed her into a hug and made her promise to come back. Vaguely, I wondered what my mother would say if she was the one seeing me off, and almost for good luck, I packed the breastplate helmet dad had given me. Maybe if I kept her close, we could make it.

Elder Vanja checked our supplies, testing the harness on Toothless, then nodded. "You're ready. Remember, follow the sun." Both of us nodded, and even Toothless acknowledged that he understood.

"Hiccup."

I didn't have to look to know that voice. Turning around, I found myself face to face with Dad. He knelt to my eye level, grabbing my shoulder. "You will come back."

I nodded slightly. "Of course, dad."

"Good." He wiped his eyes slightly. "Hiccup, I just need you to remember. No matter what happens out there, no matter what you look like, and no matter if I never see you again…" his voice broke slightly, "You will always be my son. Understand?"

Nodding again, I buried my face into his huge chest and just sobbed. So many years wasted, so many things left unsaid to die in an awkward silence…

And now there was a very good chance I'd never see him again.

"I love you Dad."

As we pulled apart, I studied his face. I never noticed how old he looked, how tired and worried and worn thin despite his strength. If he lost me, he'd be alone. A lump rose to my throat. I couldn't do that to him, I just couldn't.

Astrid whistled for me, jumping onto Toothless's back and motioning for me to follow. I gave dad one last smile. "I'll see you later, ok?"

He looked down at his feet. "I really hope so."

With that, I took my place on my dragon's back, and we flew off, without a backwards glance, into the sun.

* * *

_The fire had been burning all night, and as morning neared, all that was left was embers._

_It cast a strange light on the still dark earth, almost making the snow covered ground appear magical._

_A sudden noise, a low growl, caught my attention._

_"Hello?" I stood up cautiously, gazing around. "Toothless?"_

_Suddenly, I saw her._

_Astrid was standing in the path of the rising sun, smiling mysteriously at me. Without a word, she beckoned for me, and as if hypnotized, I staggered towards her, pulling her into my arms. Our lips met, fiercer and more passionate than ever before, and it left me in a haze._

_I barely noticed as she leaned forward, hissing in my ear. "Take me, Night Fury. I'm yours."_

_"What?" I pulled away slightly. "Astrid, what are you—"_

_But it was no longer Astrid._

_A tall, proud female Night Fury stood before me, rumbling for a mate with her eyes on me. My mouth fell open, too stunned to speak. She called for me, beckoning as before, the ember light dancing in her large green eyes._

_And as before, I approached her again, barely in control of my body, mind consumed in the haze._

_She was beautiful._

_I was strong._

_And I would claim her._

"GAAAH!"

I bolted up, sweating heavily, and looked around.

Nope, it was still night, we were still in a cluster at the campsite, and Astrid was still very much human. She yawned slightly and gave me a sleepy glare. "What are you yelling about?"

A small surge of heat coursed through my veins, and I couldn't bring myself to look at her. "Nothing. Just a bad dream, is all."

My back hurt, two little spots of pain that seemed to come from nowhere. Unable and unwilling to think about what I knew that meant, I laid back down and attempted to fall asleep again.


	7. Chapter 7

A/n: Sorry for the long ass delay in chapters :( horrible writer's block. I'll work on it more often, I SWEAR. and yeah, this is a short, kinda boring chapter.

* * *

Days passed.

It was all the same, really. The water below us was a frigid cold gray, the sky to match, and the snow whirled around my wings as I flew. Behind me, on my back, the female Astrid and my Hiccup would talk from time to time, huddled together to keep her human blood from freezing. How fragile these humans are, to be afraid of the cold! I snuck a glance at Hiccup. With how skinny he had been as a human, it was a miracle he had survived at all.

At night we'd land, sometimes in a cave, sometimes on a cliff, and make camp. I was capable of flying longer, but it was still a hard voyage ahead. I would need my strength.

As the sun set on our seventh day, Astrid busied herself trying to light the fire while Hiccup caught fish for our dinner. The ground was wet and frozen, and her grunts of displeasure struck me as funny, so I watched with a bemused grin on my maw. She would shoot me little glares from time to time. "If I'm so funny, why don't you help me out, you useless reptile?" I'd merely flick my ear and stick my tongue out in defiance.

I COULD help, if I really wanted to.

Before long, I grew bored of the female's antics and climbed down the Cliffside towards where my Hiccup was attempting to fish. Once again, humans were completely useless at the simplest tasks. He had brought a net for the voyage, but the waves were so harsh he didn't dare use it. So there he sat near the edge of the water, a makeshift spear in his clumsy hands, attempting to stab at a cod that didn't want to be caught. I snorted a laugh and sat next to him. "And what, pray tell, do you think you're doing?"

He grimaced, stabbing again with no luck. "I'm fishing. Or, attempting to fish."

"Forgive my ignorance, but I think you're doing it wrong."

Hiccup gave me a look. "Well if you're so smart, Mr. Dragonpants, why don't YOU do it?"

I nudged him roughly with my head. "Maybe I will. Watch and learn, hatchling." Without a second thought, I dove into the choppy waves, Hiccup's yells dying under the water.

We Night Furies are some of the only dragons able to swim, let alone thrive near water. Not that we enjoyed swimming, no, we left that to the Scauldrons. We just knew enough to fend for ourselves. Even with my one tail fin, I quickly rounded up and swallowed a fair number of fish whole, careful not to chew them. I didn't want to, but I knew Astrid would want to share, and Hiccup would make me. I leapt out of the water and shook myself off, standing triumphantly in front of Hiccup. He looked impressed. "Wow….we can do that?" Realizing what he said, he shook he head violently. "I mean, you can do that?"

"Of course." I motioned for him to come closer. "Are you hungry, my Hiccup?"

He nodded furiously. "Starving. We haven't eaten properly since we left Berk."

That was all I needed to hear. Rolling my eyes back, I vomited up a fair sized cod at his feet and pushed it towards him. "Eat up! After all, a growing dragon needs his strength."

The disgust on his face was thinly veiled. "Um, yeah. Thanks, but I don't…" Hiccup picked the fish up with the tips of his claws. "Toothless we've been over this. I don't eat fish raw, for one. For two, I can't eat something you've already eaten."

I narrowed my eyes. A starving dragon would've already consumed that fish upon seeing it. And Hiccup was not lying, he and his Astrid hadn't eaten very much at all over the week. Perhaps his instincts weren't strong enough yet? I snorted. "You cannot be picky."

"Can I at LEAST cook it first?" He prodded the still wriggling fish. "I swear to Thor, it's staring at me."

With one fell swoop, I shot my jaws out and took a bite out of the fish, chewing hungrily at it, spilling blood and meat onto the ground. "Suit yourself."

It got his attention right away.

Hiccup was about to chastise me for my behavior when the scent of what I'd done hit his nostrils. I watched him intently as he closed his eyes, overcome for an instant. "T-Toothless, what did you DO?" Tempted, he brought the fish carcass closer to his nose, inhaling deeply, before rumbling a weak purr in his throat. "Smells so good…" Hiccup opened his eyes slowly, transfixed on the streams of red dripping between his fingers. Almost without thinking, his tongue crept out and towards the drops, catching a few and licking his lips, the purr increasing in volume. "Tastes…Tastes so good…"

I nodded, eyes not leaving his. "Go ahead. Take a bite."

Eyes glazed over, he lowered his mouth to the fish and bit hungrily, tearing at it, till nothing but scraps were left. He closed his eyes again, purring contently for a brief moment before the realization of what he'd done occurred to him through the haze. A look of horror crept onto his face. "Oh gods…oh GODS…" He whipped around to face me. "Toothless, how COULD you?" As he ran up towards the campsite, away from me, I could smell his fear. I followed behind him slowly, slightly guilty. It was so very selfish of me. But the temptation…I wanted him so badly to be of my kin, to be a Night Fury, that it almost didn't matter what he thought.

But it DID matter.

And as I arrived to see Astrid trying to calm down a panic-stricken Hiccup, my heart fell.

* * *

Before too long, the storms came with full force again, and flying became too dangerous.

Despite her best efforts, Astrid found herself very ill as our third week of travel rolled around. Hiccup never left her side, constantly stoking the fire and moving us further back in our cave when the winds got too hard. Jealous though I was, I did have one reason to thank Astrid.

Her illness was slowing us down.

"Let me up, I can make it." She grimaced as she squirmed under the heavy coats and furs, attempting to stand up despite the hacking cough she'd developed.

Hiccup just shook his head and gently kept her down. "No way. You're redder than a beet right now." He smiled. "You just rest, ok?"

Astrid struggled harder. "We have to keep going! This season is almost over, and I don't think we're anywhere NEAR Asgaard yet!" She paused to cough violently, shaking her whole frame.

"Astrid, you're sick." Hiccup put a clawed hand to her forehead, frowning. "You're burning up. We're not going anywhere in this weather with you this sick. Ok?" Reluctantly, she agreed, pulling the covers over her shivering shoulders.

I grimaced, trying to dispel all feelings of pity for her. No, I hated the female, remember? Because of her, Hiccup fought against my gift. She was a nuisance. And yet…

Hiccup pulled his knees into his chest as he sat watching her, his yellow eyes glowing slightly in the firelight. I whined for him softly, hoping he'd come close to me, but he never even moved his head away from her. I nudged him slightly."Are you angry with me, my Hiccup?"

He shook his head. "No." He sighed. "I'm not happy, but this situation isn't too happy is it?" Gently moving some of Astrid's hair from her face, Hiccup wiped his eyes. "Do you know what I'd be losing if I change all the way? Don't you care?" He looked at me sadly. "Don't you care about me?"

My heart fell. "I love you, Hiccup. I care." I dropped my head onto my paws. "I have been selfish, haven't I?"

"Just a little." He shook his head. "Look, it's like I told you. I'm sure being a dragon's great, but I'm HUMAN. If I changed all the way, it would hurt my dad, my friends—"

I snorted slightly. "Astrid?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, her too. No, her especially. She…um, well…" he turned bright red. "She and I…you know, we're—"

"Mates?" I narrowed my eyes. "You chose her as your mate?"

"No!" All the color fled from his face, and he stumbled back slightly. "No, Toothless, we're not MATES, it—It's not called that!" I smiled to myself, secretly delighted by how quickly he denied it. "No see, humans don't take mates, not really." Hiccup ran a hand through his hair nervously. "Ooh boy, how do I describe this?"

I laughed, whapping him with my tail. "Oh my Hiccup, don't bother. I understand what you mean."

He laughed nervously. "You do? Really? Well, good!" He put a hand on my side. "Toothless, I know how badly you want me to be a dragon. Please don't hate me for not wanting to. Okay?"

"I could never hate you." My tongue slid out and licked him gently on the neck, a deep purr emanating from my chest. He closed his eyes and smiled, and his purr mingled with mine almost against his will. "But know this, Hiccup." I leaned in closer as I licked. "Astrid may love you, but you are MY mate."

Lost as he was in the moment, Hiccup nodded meekly and mumbled "I know I am", leaning into my tongue slightly. Perhaps later he'd realize what he said and take it back, but for now, it was enough.

I didn't dare tell him, but as I licked, I saw his ear lift and point, and a few strands of hair fall unnoticed to the ground.

* * *

But eventually, Astrid got better.

Well, as better as she would allow herself. She still coughed and shivered, but she violently denied all help and demanded we get back into the air. I could sense, behind her bravado and warrior stubbornness, a growing fear. She, too, could see the changes were coming faster.

Scales, once slight and easy to miss, had grown, almost forming a mask around Hiccup's eyes and trailing down around his nose. His ears had stretched and warped, now resembling my own head flaps. And the "spots of pain" on his back he complained about constantly were beginning to grow, raising the back of his shirt and making sleep uncomfortable. Before too long, they would become wings and shirts would be impractical.

I flew high above the clouds, as close to the winter sun as I could. Hiccup was not the only one changing, much to my chagrin. I couldn't hate Astrid as I had before, not now. Oh I tried, but to be perfectly honest there was nothing to hate. The only fault she had was loving my Hiccup, and that just wasn't enough. Perhaps in time, she'd see he was mine, but for now, I could bring her what little heat the sun would give. It was the least I could do.

In time, we found ourselves flying over a great expanse of forest. Tall trees broke the cover of the clouds, a fresh scent of evergreen filling the air. It was a pleasant and welcome sensation, and I flew closer to enjoy it. Behind me, I could hear Astrid exclaim, "I've never seen so many trees in my entire life!"

"I know!" Hiccup smiled. "If only you could see it as clearly as me and Toothless, Astrid. It's beautiful!"

She put her arms around his waist, leaning on his shoulder. "Will you miss that? You know, when you change back?"

He hesitated, gently turning us into the wind. "Well…Yes. I think I will. But, it's no big deal." Astrid said nothing, just breathing a heavy sigh as she watched the ground in silence. I could feel her fear grow.

For the first time, it occurred to all three of us that maybe, just maybe, Hiccup won't want to go back.

A shrill roar echoed below us, and I looked down. A large and majestic male Timberjack raised his head and roared a greeting towards us, trees falling with each flap of his enormous wings. "Hail, Night Fury! What brings you to my realm?" He rose slowly through the air till he was at my side. "And why do you carry a human and a…" His eyes narrowed. "A…whatever that is?"

Hiccup turned bright red. Fighting the urge to laugh at that, I bowed my head. "Permit us passage through your realm, Oh mighty one. We are on a mission to Asgaard."

"Asgaard!" He stumbled mid-flap, surprised. "A mission from the Gods?"

"You could say that." I looked behind me. Astrid was trying not to be seen, in fear that the Timberjack wouldn't appreciate a human interfering. Hiccup was in awe, frantically trying to sketch the majestic dragon. I grinned. "Would you know if we're on the right path?"

The Timberjack nodded, turning his head towards the path of the sun. "You're still far from it, but continue this way and you'll find it." I nodded my thanks and began to fly off, but he roared after us. "Beware though! Most dragons stay away from there now."

I bared my teeth slightly. "Why?"

He growled menacingly. "I do not know. But all who try to reach it have never returned." With a flap of his wings, he dove towards the forest, shouting a "Luck be with you!" as he continued on his way, the snap of trees against his wings fading into the distance.

Astrid leaned closer to Hiccup. "Um, okay, what did he tell you? What was all that about?"

Hiccup shook his head. "I think our journey's gonna be a little more difficult than I thought…"


End file.
